Fear of the Dark
by Narfec
Summary: As Batman and Wonder Woman build their relationship and begin to start a new life, strange events occur in Gotham that could push them over the brink. After returning from a mission horribly traumatized and scarred, Bruce begins to question his relationship with Diana. Loose sequel to Unveiling. Set in the DCAU. Contains psychological horror.
1. Chapter 1- Dig

"It's time to wake up_."_

_He starts. It's been so long since he's heard a voice. Since he's moved. Since he's had a real thought._

_He tries to respond, but finds himself hopelessly paralyzed. For the first time in months, panic crosses his mind._

"Relax…" _ The voice again. It's real. He reflexively attempts to locate the source of the mysterious whisper, but finds that he cannot tap his senses. He hears nothing but crushing silence, and all that he sees before him are fields of infinite darkness. Yet the voice continues to reach him._

"You… You have the potential we sssseeeeeek?"

_He can feel his body attempting to shudder at the disembodied voice's horrifying hissing, but there is no response. He remains as numb as ever._

"You… You will help Ussssss? You will help usssss… And we will give you strength…"

_As it speaks, he feels his thoughts slowly becoming clearer. The voice focuses, beginning to become more coherent. He finally manages to think clearly enough to respond. _"What are you?" _His question is silent, but the voice hears him anyway and responds with a bone chilling cackle. Its' voices echo through every corner of his brain, shattering the silence that he's endured for months._

"Huntersssssss… We will give you ssssssstrength."

_The hissing drives him mad. He wants to lash out at whatever foul beast is invading his mind, but he doesn't have the strength. As the creature speaks, he feels himself filling with inexplicable rage._

"TELL ME." _Passion. It feels soothing on his dully aching brain. He's angry, but has no idea why. He tries to remember his identity, but nothing comes to him. Just more blind rage._

"You have purposssssssssse…. You are driven to hunt. Like ussssss… We will give you strength, and you will help usssssss… And we will hunt. Do you agree?"

_Thoughts rush at him from every direction. After years of mental stagnation, he finds himself overwhelmed by the sudden flood of emotions._

"L-leave me alone."_ His anger is tinged with fear. He's unable to reach the core of his emotions, and begins to feel his mind break again._

"You need usssssssss. We will give you sssssstrength." _it repeats. He can practically hear the corners of its' mouths turning up in anticipation. _"You will help usssssssss. We will hunt. Do you agree?"

_As if finishes, the last piece of what he was missing snaps into place. Enormous black wings envelop his mind. He knows in that moment that he'll do whatever he has to in order to get revenge on those who have taken everything from him._

"I'll do whatever you need. You just give me strength."

_The voice laughs again, but this time there are many different voices. They grow louder, but are no longer menacing; they are the bells that will herald his vengeance. He finally returns to himself, and the voices join with him. For the first time in ages, he feels content in the knowledge that everything will be alright._

Author's note: Welp. Guess who's back? Oops. I've been busy over the past few months. I'll try not to do it again, but time will tell.

Anyway, about the story. I've decided to try my hand at psychological horror, so this could get morbid. I'm going to be loosely continuing from my last finished story and sort of scrapping Hero of the day. I don't know how much I'll be keeping, but this will ideally be serving as the precursor for it that I'd originally planned.

I don't really have much to say about this chapter beyond hoping that the italics carried over during the upload, but there's not much I can do there. It's been a while since I uploaded, so here's hoping it works better now. I don't really expect reviews this early in the game, but it would be nice if people could point out any errors in tenses. I caught myself slipping into past tense a few times, and I'd like to make sure I didn't let any slip through.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Time to get down to business. This is where things should hopefully get interesting. And maybe disturbing. Hopefully it won't be too disturbing. EDIT: Yeah. It did. But bear with me please.

"Dani! Time for dinner!" A woman shouted sternly from the kitchen of a large apartment in Gotham City.

"Coming, Mom!" Dani shouted back before refocusing her attention on her bedroom mirror. Her sixth birthday had just passed, and she'd begun to notice that her teeth were coming lose. At first she'd been scared about not being able to eat without teeth, but Mommy had convinced her that it was good for her teeth to come out, and that new, better ones would grow back. And even better, she would get paid a whole quarter for her old tooth! She wasn't sure of all the details yet, but the prospect was exciting enough for her to want the tooth out of her mouth and under her pillow as quickly as possible. She carefully climbed up to kneel on her chair and get a good view of the inside of her mouth. She carefully gripped the loosest of her teeth and wiggled it gently. She closed her eyes tightly, steeling herself for-

"DANIELLA ARLENE MOORES! NOW!"

Dani squealed in shock, nearly falling out of her chair. "KAY!" She shouted again before settling in front of her mirror once more. She took a deep breath and readied herself once more but stopped short. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, she could see the blurred outline of a strange face staring at her. Breathing heavily, she slowly turned around to look out the the window. Nothing. There was nothing outside but darkness and rain. Still holding her loose tooth, she turned back to the mirror. The face was back, this time inside of the window. She wanted to scream, but something compelled her not to. As it slowly moved closer to her, it's bizarre features became clearer. It was almost as tall as her, with transparent blue skin and disproportionate features. It had a long, straight mouth that stretched all the way across its cheeks. Its nose was nearly nonexistent, just a small clump of whatever spectral matter formed the creature. However, what really startled her were its eyes. Despite the creature's blank expression, the eyes carried emotion. Enough emotion to overwhelm Dani's young brain. She wanted to scream and run away, but found herself struck dumb by the face's stare. It continued to draw ever closer, weaving from side to side through the air. Finally, it came to a stop, inches from Dani's back. She felt her chills run up and down her spine as she continued to stare at the mirror, transfixed on the strange being that had appeared before her. As it opened its mouth, she heard many voices rolling forth, but none of them met her ears.

"_Come."_ They all said in unison. Some voices were high and some were low, but they all spoke perfectly in sync.

Dani felt her eyes drooping. She felt an unbearable sadness building within her, combatting the terror. Feeling a sudden jolt of panic, she shook herself back to reality. Impulsively jerking her he pulled the tooth out, causing a dribble of blood to fall on her lower lip. As soon as the pain faded, she felt the numbing depression flooding back. Her fear extinguished, she slumped slightly.

_"Come."_ The voice repeated in a taunting, triumphant tone. _"We have strength. You will give us more. We will feed again."_

Dani dazedly slipped down from her chair and walked toward the face. For a moment, the room was silent, until the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard storming down the hall. There was a loud slam as Dani's door flew open, and then a blood-curdling scream as Dani's mother saw the room; completely empty except for a small stain on the carpet.

Author's Note: Hey, remember when I promised that things were going to get into the main story, and then I gave you guys more setup? Sorry, but don't worry. I'm trying to build a strong foundation. This story will probably be a bit on the short side. I'd planed to write this later as a bridge between my other two stories, but I changed my mind. I left too much up in the air, and I apologize for that. My new plan is to finish this and pretty much start HOTD fresh. Anyway, I decided to end this chapter early. The next should be up soon. That's when we'll really be getting into things.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce Wayne ran his fingers through his hair, grumbling irritably and staring blankly at his computer monitor. Four meetings with investors in a single day, and he still had a fundraiser to host. Nothing atypical for the owner of a multi-million dollar company. All things considered, the day was quite average for Bruce. With the exception of two things.

The first was the case that he'd been studying. Five Gotham children gone missing in a week. All under the age of ten. Bruce had personally examined every crime scene and followed every lead, but to no avail. There seemed to be no cohesive pattern between the missing children, besides their ages. They were all from different areas in the city, often from higher floors of apartment buildings. The only constant was that there was no evidence of a struggle. It was as though the children had wandered off of their own accord. While Bruce hated the thought of children being abducted, it was little comfort to imagine a trend of children running away from home, not leaving a scrap of evidence behind them.

The second thing that made this particular night seem unusual to him was the woman standing behind him as he scanned files on the Bat-computer, leaning with her hands in his shoulder for support. She had high, proud cheekbones, and well-defined features. She was wearing a flowing red dress that complimented her waist-length black hair. "Gerald Grice… I remember that name." She said leaning in to look at the list of potential suspects more closely.

"Checked him." Bruce grunted. "He's scum, but he couldn't have been involved. He's been out of town for weeks. Acting as a cocaine mule. Brought him to Blackgate yesterday…" Bruce put his head in his hands. He could feel a tension headache coming on. It had been bothering him on and off for the last few weeks, but his duties were to important to neglect, especially now. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep working. "This is useless." He said after several long moments of scanning names and records. "This isn't going to get us anywhere."

"I agree." Diana said, resentfully admitting defeat. "Something like this… It has to be a group. Maybe a supervillain?"

Bruce shook his head. "Maybe… But that poses the same problem. Not enough info to start with. There isn't even enough here to identify an MO. Or even a crime for that matter."

"Then where do we go next?"

"We squeeze people. Until somebody talks. We just need to find a place to start."

"I don't like the sound of that, Bruce. I can't stand waiting around like this while-"

"What other options do we have?" Bruce interrupted. "I don't like it either. But there's no other option. Something'll come up."

"I hope so… I just don't like thinking about this. How can you stand a city were things like this can happen?"

Bruce pondered her question, carefully choosing his answer. "It could happen anywhere… It just… Doesn't. For whatever reason." He paused, seemingly having a hard time putting whatever he was trying to say into words. "This city doesn't have to be this way. You and Clark… I've seen your homes. Paradise Island, Metropolis… That's what I want for Gotham."

"Ahem." A soft voice echoed around the Batcave, snapping Bruce and Diana to attention. "Terribly sorry to interrupt, Sir" said Alfred, Bruce's loyal butler and confidant, "but your guests have arrived. It's time for your speech."

"Right." Bruce stood up, checking the buttons on his suit coat. "Let's go."

As soon as they exited the oppressive silence of the cave, the loud chatter of voices could be heard from the function room. Bruce took a deep breath, preparing his character, and flung the door open, entering as energetically as possible. There was a sudden burst of cheering, and some flashing of cameras as Bruce and Diana cut across the ballroom floor to get to the podium. "Good luck." Diana whispered, patting him on the shoulder. He gave her a cocky wink and continued on his way, leaving her to mingle.

"Greetings friends!" As Bruce spoke, most of the conversation buzz in the room began to die. "And welcome! Welcome the the tenth annual charity ball for the Thomas and Martha Wayne Foundation for Underpriviliged children!" As Bruce continued his speech, Diana found herself enthralled. As charming as Bruce Wayne was, he was very different from the Batman that she was familiar with. And even from Bruce without his mask, she rarely saw the optimism and passion that he had when he talked about the future of Gotham. She'd come to know him well enough to tell when he was putting on an act (even behind the cowl), and she could see the complete sincerity and optimism that permeated his being when he was discussing Gotham's future. However, as the speech dragged on She began to hear other conversations crop up around her. A particularly loud one emanating from a group of loud, heavy-set women caught her attention.

"I mean, what's the point in having _two_ of them hanging around if we still get into messes like this?"

"Pardon me…" Diana said, turning to the speaker. "What were you saying? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all, darling. I was just talking about these… 'Superheroes' that keep cropping up."

"And… You consider them a problem?" Diana asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Well of course!" The woman said, apparently taken aback that Diana would ask such a stupid question. "As if having that Bat-Man lunatic running around, now he's brought his girlfriend along with him! And what have they done to help us? Not a thing, that's what!"

Diana was slightly caught off guard by the woman's abrasive tone. "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying… You don't think that they're helping?"

The woman gave a condescending laugh, speaking to Diana as though she was a simpleton. "Of course not dear. You've heard about those poor, darling children gone missing… And what have they done about it? Nothing. Don't you read the papers?"

"I.. I'm sure they're trying their best." Diana stammered, doing her best to keep her composure.

"Of course! Trying their best to look good for the press!" The woman chortled. "Why else would somebody go out in such a gaudy, whorish outfit? Not to fight crime, I'll tell you that much!"

"Why listen here, you fi-" Before she could build up a head of steam, Diana was brought back to reality by a light tap on the shoulder. "Pardon me, Ms. Prince. A word?" Alfred said.

"Of course." Diana sighed, turning back to her conversation partner. "I'm sorry, but, I really must be going." The woman waved her off thoughtlessly, having already engrossed herself in another conversation with her friends.

"Thanks, Alfred. I don't know how you and Bruce stand these obnoxious, ungrateful swine, though. I almost lost my temper back there. Thank you again for stopping me."

"Call it a happy coincidence. As it happens, I have a message that I need passed on to Master Bruce, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. What is it?"

Alfred stiffly reached into his pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. "Please read this and pass it on to him. He should be finished momentarily. I'll be downstairs preparing the car, if you don't have any questions."

Diana nodded absently, focused on unfolding the paper. Anything important enough for Alfred to interrupt a charity banquet in the middle of a speech was definitely bad news. She felt the color drain from her face as she read:

'6th kidnapping. Gordon waiting at Mason Apartment complex, apt. 815'

Diana managed to catch Bruce's eye, giving him an urgent nod. Bruce got the message, wrapping up his speech prematurely. "And that, my friends, is my vision for the youth of Gotham. It was a vision that was shared by my mother and father, and one that I'm so proud to see all of you sharing and supporting." He raised his glass in a toast, pretending to take a sip of champaign before finding his way back to Diana.

"Good job." She said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, using the opportunity to pass him the note discreetly. He quickly scanned it and nodded. "Let's go." He said, his voice settling into a lower register.

Author's note: I'm cutting the BS on this story. Right down to action. It'll be shorter, but hopefully better.

Anyway, I'd intended for this chapter to progress the story a bit more, but I was content with this. The main problem that I've been having is where to draw the line in terms of 'graphic content.' I don't really want to push the T label to much, but I will if I think it'll make the story better. It kind of depends on what people here are comfortable with.

Lastly, I've been out of the writing game for a bit. It's been over a year since I've written these characters at all, so I'd really like some input on what I'm doing right, and more importantly what I'm doing wrong. Anyway, see you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

My name is Jim Gordon. I'm the police commissioner for the Gotham City Police Department. It's a bad job. The only reason that I do it to begin with is so that somebody else doesn't have to, because God only knows what kind of schmuck would step up to the plate, or if anybody even would to begin with. Don't get me wrong, the job doesn't pay well. At least, not the way I do it, anyway. I could take bribes. Hell, in my position, I could have a racketeering operation set up and make enough money to happily retire in under a year. And some days, I feel like that's why I'm here. A placeholder until somebody else comes along. I'd love to move on with my life, maybe retire to Florida. But I gave up on that a long time ago. The police are never going to overtake criminals in Gotham. They've infiltrated our ranks. The best we can hope to do is keep them from hurting as many people as possible.

But there's still hope. While I'm ashamed to say that Gotham can't depend on it's police force the way that it should be able to, it has something much better up it's sleeve. Most people don't see it that way, but most people haven't seen what I have. I don't know what compels these 'costumed crimefighters' to do what they do, but I'll be damned if we don't have two of the best in the business in Gotham.

Batman is tough to describe. I've been on the force for twenty years, and I've never met anybody like him. The most interaction that I have with him is when we sit down for coffee over New Year's Eve, and even then he barely speaks. Other than that, it's back-and-forth about a case. Nevertheless, I consider him a strong ally and a close personal friend.

Wonder Woman is more straightforward. I haven't talked to her much since Batman informed me that they'd be working as partners for an unspecified amount of time, but she seems to be a perfectly nice lady. A lot of the city doesn't see it that way, but they'll come around. Most of them are still adjusting to Batman, after all. I don't really know why she's here, to be honest. Not that I'm complaining. I can sense some kind of spark between them, but I honestly wonder if they even notice. The way I see it, it's none of my business either way. As long as they're keeping the city (relatively) clean, I'm happy. And they do a damn fine job of that. Crime is down since she arrived. Sometimes, it seems like they're almost as afraid of her as they are of him. And I don't blame them in the least.

Seeing them at the same time is… Odd. As much as I hate to say it, he still scares me a bit. Sometimes I wonder if he's even sane. Then I look at his getup. So sane may not be the word. But she's a different story. She carries herself with a grace that puts everybody present at both leave an impression, but there's something polarizing about them.

"Evening, Jim."

My musing are interrupted by a whisper from the shadows. It doesn't startle me anymore, but I still don't like it when he sneaks up me. He's standing in the shadow of the apartment building, staring at me expectantly. Wonder Woman floats down, landing gracefully beside him. I toss my cigarette on the pavement and crush it out. I've been trying to quit, but this business with missing kids has pushed me over the edge. Parents are breathing down my neck. I don't blame them at all. If it was my Barbara, I don't even want to think about what I'd be doing. All the same, I'm getting nowhere in this investigation. And it doesn't seem like they're doing any better. Hopefully tonight will change that. I can't let this keep happening.

I silently show them to the door. Nothing that I could say really seems important. It's embarrassing, but my team has nothing to contribute. Just an empty room. Small pool of blood on the carpet with a tooth next to it. Locked windows and door.

The girl's poor mother is waiting outside the door. Sally, I think she said her name was. I feel a stab of pity as I look at her. I look behind me. No trace of Batman, but Wonder Woman is stepping forward to speak to Sally. Probably for the best. He can be a bit much to handle, even at the best of times.

"Hello, Sally." As soon as she speaks, the room seems to warm up. "My name is Diana. I'm here to help." Sally simply sniffles. "Can you tell me about tonight?"

Sally chokes back her tears to try and hide her sadness, but her voice is still shaky. Still, she bravely tries to speak. "I-I was just trying to g-get her t-t-to come and eat… And she w-was just g-g-gone!" Her sobbing is getting heavier, and it's steadily growing more obvious that she isn't going to give us any useful information. Another dead end. Lovely. "I yelled at her t-to come to dinner, b-but she didn't. So I went to she where she was, and she was g-g-gone! I yelled at her and she was g-g-gone!"

She breaks down into hysterics. Once again, I have to think about how I would be handling her situation. Not well, I can say that much. Wonder Woman holds her in a comforting embrace, and she seems to calm down slightly. "Don't worry. We'll find her. No matter what's happened, I swear that we'll do whatever it takes to find her." She turns to me. "Won't we, comissioner?"

"Of course we will. We'll put the entire city on lockdown, if we have to." I hope that I sound more confident than I feel. At this point, I have my doubts that even a city wide lockdown would be enough. I send her downstairs. I have some officers waiting for her with coffee. A small comfort, but the poor woman needs as much as she can get. As I open the door to the apartment, I can see that Batman is already inside. He's not examining the room, though. He's just standing in the middle, staring at nothing. Odd behavior, even for him.

"Diana. Do you feel that?" He says, still staring at nothing.

"Um… No?" She looks confused. I know I am. "What are you talking about?"

"Hrm. Nothing." He seems to snap back to himself. I gesture at the point of interest. The girl's makeup mirror. There's a small trail of blood leading from the seat in from of the desk to a tiny tooth on the floor.

"The mother says that the girl was obsessed with a loose tooth. Kept trying to pull it out way too early. I guess that explains the bleeding."

Batman bends over to look at the tooth more closely. "But why isn't it in her mouth?" Neither of us answer. We both know enough to see that he's just thinking out loud. "Something… Isn't right."

He taps a spot on his hood near wear I would his imagine his right ear would be. "Batman to Watchtower. I need Zatanna. Out."

Another odd name. This isn't good. I don't know many of his friends, and I prefer to keep it that way. When they get involved, it means something big is going down. There's a bright flash and a bang, and an attractive young woman appears in the room. She's dressed in a suit jacket and fishnets, with a crooked top hat to complete the outfit. I don't think that I've ever felt so out of place for dressing normally. She's well-built. Dark hair and blue eyes. Looks like Batman has a type. Lucky bastard.

"You needed something, Batman?"

"Yes." He gives her a brief synopsis of the situation. As he gives her the details, her charming smile slides off her face. "Something isn't right here."

"Hm… I'll give you that much." She strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Children disappearing from a locked room certainly does sound like magic. I'll see what I can do."

Magic? I knew that Batman dealt with some weird stuff when he was out with his friends, but this was more than I could handle. Here in Gotham, we have a lot of different kinds of crime. Drugs, I can handle. Racketeering, fine. I've even adjusted to radioactively powered super-villains and homicidal clowns. But magic? That's a whole different story.

The girl places her fingers on her temples and crosses her legs so she's floating in mid-air. As she mumbles some words that I can't even begin to make out, a purple glow fills the air around her.

Out of nowhere, her murmuring grow harsher. She begin to quiver in the air, her eyes widening until it looks like they're ready to pop out of her head. Wonder Woman runs over to try to shake her out of it, but Batman throws an arm out to stop her.

"DON'T!" He shouts. "You don't know what could happen. Let it pass. She'll break it."

The young witch's muttering grows into vicious shouting, finally culminating in a pained scream. She falls out of the air, landing in a crumpled heap on the carpet. Batman carefully lifts her into a sitting position, leaning against his shoulder. She slowly opens her eyes.

"Unngh… My head… What…"

"Shh. Relax." Wonder Woman. Whispers comfortingly. "Are you alright?"

"I think so… I don't know. Can't think straight. Something there. Not good."

Her sentences are slurred. She still seems disoriented, but whatever's happening is beyond my comprehension anyway.

"What happened?" Batman asks. Straight to the point. It would be nice if he could give the poor girl a break, but I'm just as curious as he is.

"I… I don't know. Found a portal. Something on the other end. Black. Cold. Too much. Had to force an escape." She takes a few deep breaths, and seems to steady herself a bit. "I don't know what that was, but it's dangerous. Something telepathic, maybe… It was almost like it saw me coming. Like it looked into my head This isn't like any kind of magic that I've encountered before… I'm not even sure that it _is_ magic. But… I don't know."

Even Batman looks taken off guard. It's not pleasant seeing that look on his face. I know how he feels though. She's struggling to convey the magnitude of whatever we're dealing with, but she doesn't need to. The nearly palpable fear in her voice is more than enough.

Author's note: I tried something different. A bit more of a typical comic-type first person narrative. I'm not sure how it worked, though.

Again, feedback/ reviews would be great. I'm a bit mixed on the direction that I want to take this story, and input would be great.


	5. Chapter 5

The ride back to the cave was a rather long and silent one. Zatanna was still exhausted from her ordeal, and Bruce and Diana were both wrapped up in thought about the implications of what had just happened. Finally, after what seemed like years, Bruce pulled off his cowl and broke the silence.

"We need a plan." He said somberly. "We have some basic information. We can put together a basic profile. We're looking for a magic user. Maybe a telepath. Maybe both."

"That's… That's a really ugly combination." Zatanna chipped in from the backseat of the batmobile, where she was laying down to rest.

"Hm." Batman grunted in agreement. But based on your description, we need to consider it at the very least. It could be a team-up. Maybe Circe?"

"No." Diana shook her head. "Subtlety isn't her style. Trust me, we'd know if it was her."

"Hm… Probably right." Even Batman couldn't help but crack a small grin at the memory of their last run-in with the Witch. "Hmm… Not many magic users out there, I suppose… And it could be somebody new. Let's not rule anything out yet. We're better off moving on to telepaths. Computer, pull up a list of felons with a background in psychology."

The terminal in the Batmobile whirred to life, spitting out a list instantaneously.

_"Jarvis Tetch. Alias, Mad Hatter. Status: incarcerated."_

_ "_Not helpful." Bruce grunted. Move on."

_"Professor Hugo Strange. Status: Deceased."_

"Next."

"_John Dee. Alias, Doctor Destiny. Status: Deceased."_

Batman paused, setting the Batmobile on autopilot. "Computer, give me a report on Dee." A narrow piece of paper was ejected from a slot in the dashboard. He carefully skimmed the report for important details.

"John Dee died six months ago after an accident in which he was left comatose… He passed quietly in his sleep during his incarceration in Arkham Asylum." Bruce folded the paper neatly, storing it in his belt for later examination. "Next suspect."

_"Doctor Jonathon Crane. Alias, Scarecrow. Status: incarcerated."_

"Put him on the suspects list. Next."

As the Batmobile pulled to a stop in the Batcave, Bruce pulled the hood back. "Alfred. Prepare a guest room. Zee's going to be staying overnight."

"Of course, sir." Said Alfred, who'd been waiting in the cave. "You'll be pleased to know that the fundraiser has been quite successful so far, and will not require your further attention. I've prepared a meal in the drawing room across the hall from your study when you're ready."

"Thank you, Alfred." Bruce gently shook Zatanna awake and helped her out of the car. "Oww…" She moaned rubbing her head.

After changing into casual clothes, the trio made their way out of the cave through the study and across the hall. Alfred had set up a spread on the table with a wide selection of food. As they sat down to eat, Bruce cleared his throat. "We need to know what you say, Zee. We have a lead, now we need a plan to follow it."

Zatanna closed her eyes, trying to focus on recalling. "I… I don't know. I'm sorry Bruce, but I can't explain it. It was just… Scary, you know? I just sort of panicked. Tried to force my way out. It sucked me in." Her expression fell. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

"It's okay." Diana said, comfortingly patting her on the back. "It wasn't your fault."

"I… Thanks, Diana. Pork?" Zatanna giggled a bit as she offered Diana the plate of pork, the slightly nauseated look on the Amazon's face bringing up her spirits.

"Erm… No thanks. Afraid I've lost my taste for it lately."

"Anyway." Bruce said. "You have no idea where the portal led?"

"No clue. Wherever it was was taking my bearings away."

"But you were able to follow it?"

"It's hard to explain. I could follow the traces it left. It was quite a presence, so it wasn't too hard… I just sort of got overwhelmed by it."

Bruce was struck by sudden inspiration. "And if you were able to find it while it was opening…?"

"Well, I'd probably be able to trace it again…" Zatanna adjusted her top hat uncomfortably. "I really don't like where you're going with this, Bruce… I could likely sense it opening remotely… But what then?"

"Could you access it?"

"That's crazy! You know how unstable this kind of thing is… You could be vaporized. Or worse. And trust me, you do NOT want to see the kind of thing that's worse than being vaporized magically."

"Point taken," Diana chimed in at last, "but I agree with Bruce. It's a last resort, but we can't sit back any longer. Whatever this foe is, they've covered themselves well. If there's a chance to find a weakness in their defenses, I say we jump at it. Can you help?"

"I could try… If I traced to the origin, using myself as a conduit, it might work." Zatanna shuffled reluctantly. "But there are so many variables… What if we lose contact? You could be stuck in some void forever…"

"It's a necessary risk." Bruce said grimly. "As long as you can pull us back, we'll take the chance."

Zatanna sighed heavily. "Well, if I can't talk you out of it, I'd better go get some rest. I have a feeling that we have a long couple of nights ahead of us…

Author's note: Big things ahead. Not saying much, but things are going to get interesting really soon.

As an aside, does anybody know another place that I could upload? I'd like to upload a few of my stories somewhere else, but I've never been to deep in the FF community. Has anybody heard of any good BM/WW forums where I could find a home?


	6. Chapter 6- Into the Void

"Ready, Zee?" Zatanna had spent most of the day sleeping and meditating in preparation for the night's ritual. After several more hours of gathering supplies, she'd managed to assemble a varied range of magical artifacts.

"Just about, I think…" Zatanna darted around the Batcave, leaving artifacts as she went. "Cockatrice egg here… Bear claw here… Lizard bone meal here… Butterfly legs… And maybe a dash of ectoplasm to be safe." She stepped back to admire her handiwork; she'd left various supplies in seemingly random locations around the cave. "Here." She said, handing Bruce and Diana a pair of transparent blue crystals and bottles of unrefined salt.

"Very feng shui… But what exactly is all of this going to do?" Diana said, narrowly avoiding stepping on an eel.

"Well, most of it is to help me expand my detection range. You know, make it a little bit easier to spread my focus. The rest of it is for your safety. The soul gems I gave you are going to act as temporary containers for your souls. That way you won't be forced back like I was, and your physical bodies will be relatively safe. They should be large enough for the kids' souls on the return trip. If you eat some of the salt, it should let you absorb excess energy, preventing magic burns. I mean, I hope."

"You _hope?"_

"Hey, don't give me that. I can get you where you need to go, and and a ninety-five percent chance that most of your internal organs make the trip with you. That's pretty good, all things considered. I mean, do you have _any idea_ how hard magical interdimensional travel is without a destination?" The young magician paused. "Okay… Probably not as hard as it sounds, but still _really_ hard."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Diana hastily apologized. "I didn't mean to trivialize, I just- Did you say ninety-five percent?"

"Now you see why I said this was a bad idea."

"Noted." Bruce growled pulling his cowl over his face. "Anything else?"

"Hm… Not really. Assuming that you do get through, I'll start trying to pull you out after about forty-five minutes. Hopefully that should be enough time, assuming that time works the same way wherever you're going… Or that it exists at all. Just remember, get the job done as quickly as possible. I won't be able to trace the portal, just leach of of it. So once you're back, we have to start from scratch."

"Got it. The sun's going down. It's time." Bruce walked over to a small workout area that he'd set up nearby, stretching in anticipation of whatever might come. Zatanna conjured a piece of chalk, and drew herself a circle on the floor, surrounding it with intricate runes. She took a deep breath, and sat down in the center of the circle. As she began murmuring magic words, she slowly lifted off the ground, fading into a trance.

Diana found herself aimlessly wandering the cave for the first few hours. As the minutes passed, she grew more restless. By 2 AM. She'd finished her warmups, and was ready for anything. She'd overcome her nerves through years of combat and intense training, but she still felt uneasy. The more she thought about this plan, the more unstable it seemed. She knew there was no choice, but she was still wary about the idea of challenging an unknown foe on their own strange territory.

_'Enough stewing.'_ She firmly shook herself away from negative thinking. She'd sworn to do whatever she needed to in order to defend the innocent, and that was a promise that she intended. She stood up from the swivel chair in front of the computer and made her way over to the pull-up bar, where Bruce was hanging by his knees. He was holding several weights, and curling his torso upwards to warm up for the night.

"Hello."

"'Lo." Bruce grunted, not skipping a beat in his workout. "I think I'm about ready to add another ten, can you-"

He was cut off as she suddenly grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Caught off guard, he dropped the weights that he'd been holding, which she effortlessly caught in her other hand. As they passionately kissed, Diana felt her anxieties melt away. She could feel him becoming less tense too; before, his face had always been rigid, and his tongue had always been stiff. While he hadn't completely opened emotionally, he was clearly more comfortable around her, and she was perfectly happy to wait. As far as she was concerned, the two of them had all the time in the world.

As they pulled apart, they stared into each others' eyes, both breathing heavily. "Well… That's one way to blow off steam." Diana grinned. Suddenly, an enormous bang echoed through the cave. Zatanna chanting built into borderline shouting, each word seamlessly phasing into the next. Right before their eyes a mass of blackness appeared in front of her.

"ZEE!" Bruce shouted, but Zatanna appeared too deep in her trance to acknowledge him. Her eyes glowed a violent purple, matching the ever-growing aura that surrounded her.

"That's our cue." Bruce said, pulling his cowl up. "It's now or never." Without another word, he charged at the black mass until in completely enveloped him. Diana tightened her grip on the soul gem that Zatanna had given her and followed suit.

The next few moments were some of the most uncomfortable that she'd ever experienced. She couldn't orient herself to her surroundings; all that she could feel was a violent spinning sensation. She felt pressure on every inch of her body, crushing out her senses. She tried with all of her willpower not to scream in pain and shock. When her willpower failed, she found that she couldn't scream at all; as she tried to reach out with the rest of her body, she felt the spinning suddenly stop. Without warning, the blackness lifted, and she was thrown onto a cold, slimy ground.

She carefully stood up, still shaky from her unpleasant journey. She struggled with all her might to choke back vomit; a test that Bruce's mortal body was currently failing on the ground next to her. She gently rubbed his back, helping him up.

"Where… Where are we?" The architecture of their new location was unlike anything that she'd ever seen. The floor resembled stone, but had a mushy texture that seemed to barely support her weight. Entire portions of the area were covered in thick, inky shadows that seemed to drip to the ground from the seemingly infinite blackness above. What little light there was had an ugly dark green hue. Every so often, the soft ground led into circular pools of what appeared to be some kind of black liquid that continuously rippled out from the surface, even without disturbance.

"I don't know…" Bruce's voice trailed off as he regained his bearings. "We can think about it later. We're on the clock."

"Right. Let's move."

**Author's Note: The first real cliffhanger, and I'm going to have to abandon the story for a bit. I've got some personal stuff going on that'll slow me down for a couple of days, but I'll try to keep working in the meantime so I don't lose track and vanish again.**

**Thanks to the people who suggested other sites to upload on; I'll try to upload there soon, so look out for me on some other places soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: This one is just a little bit disturbing.**

"Wonder Woman to Watchtower. Repeat. Wonder Woman to Watchtower." Diana lowered her hand from her ear defeatedly. "Nothing. Yours is the only signal that I'm picking up."

"I thought as much. Wherever we are, it doesn't feel like Earth. I don't like to make assumptions when magic's involved, though."

"Well, alright. We made it. What's the plan?" Diana crossed her arms expectantly. "We need to get our bearings straight."

"Right." Batman shook his head to clear away the last of the dizziness. "Cowl readings aren't showing any life forms nearby. I can't get any heat readings. Everything's… Murky. It's like I'm getting random heat spikes from the ground. Deactivating the cowl's heat sensors, Batman reached into his belt and retrieved what appeared to be a shiny black mirror with a small monitor attached.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" Diana asked, examining the strange device. "Is it recon?"

"More or less. It senses tachyons. Particles that move independently through time. They should be moving at a constant speed no matter where we are, regardless of dimensional anomalies. And this place reeks of dimensional anomalies."

"That's not all it reeks of…" Diana had smelt more than her share of rotting flesh, and she was easily able to identify the smell. The air was thick and humid with some sort of fog, making it slightly difficult to draw breath. "The sooner we can get this finished, the better."

"Hm… That's not what I was expecting." Bruce recalibrated the tachyon detector, resampling data. "The flow of the particles is inconsistent. That's impossible. The only conclusion is that time here is unstable. Fluid. Be careful."

"All the more reason to get this done quickly. Zatanna could pull us back at any moment. I don't intend to waste what precious little time we have talking about not having enough time. Let's move."

Without warning, the fog around them thickened. Batman and Wonder Woman reflexively pressed themselves back-to-back, covering all openings. As they revolved, trying to catch sight of an assailant hidden in the mist, the fog seemed to separate into two walls on either side of them. The fog hardened into murky green walls, leaving them with only two paths to take.

Batman pulled a batarang from his belt and cautiously approached the freshly formed wall. When he poked it, the wall flexed slightly in a manner similar to flesh, but didn't give. "Well… I guess that narrows things down. I'm thinking we split up. Cover as much ground as possible."

"It's almost certainly a trap, you know."

"I know." Batman agreed. "But if it _is _a trap, then we've already sprung it. Efficiency is key here."

Diana wanted to argue. She hated the idea of being in whatever strange hell they'd wandered into alone, and she hated the idea of leaving Bruce alone here even more. But she couldn't deny the practicality of his suggestion. "Fine. Let's go."

Batman could feel tension in his chest as he followed the path. He typically wasn't one for nerves, but this whole place seemed to throw him off. The architecture had a bizarre organic quality to it, as if it was made of some sort of plant-flesh hybrid. He made a mental note to investigate Poison Ivy when he got back to the cave. "Batman to Wonder Woman. Have you found anything?"

"Not yet. The path is getting wider, though. Looks like it's building to something… I'll report back if I find anything. Over."

Batman's path was beginning to widen as well; the area ahead seemed brighter, and the fog seemed to be lightening. He began to pick up his pace. As he got closer, a shadowy figure seemed to grow clearer. Slightly out of breath from sprinting in the heavy air, he finally pulled to a stop in front of what appeared to a large throne of sorts. It seemed to spring directly from the material of the floor, and stretched up far higher than Batman could see. Its features weren't particularly ornate, but it had a certain uneasy aura attached to it. However, what Batman found particularly interesting was its occupant. Perched on the throne was a full human skeleton. Several things made it noteworthy (aside from being a skeleton); the bones were pearly white, and almost seemed to shine. Had there been any light, they might have sparkled. Somehow, the skeleton managed to maintain form, despite not having any sort of wire frame to hold it together. It appeared to be male, and a particularly large one at that.

"Wonder Woman. I think I've found something."

"Me too. Oh Hera, I think that I've found them."

Diana had reached the other end of the hallway. The room that she'd reached was similar to the one that Bruce had found, besides the throne. Instead, she could see six small figures leaning against the walls. She rushed over to the nearest. It was a small girl, no older than eight. She was held to the wall by a heavy chain around her throat. She matched the description of the last child perfectly. However, like all of the others, she was slumped over, looking almost unconscious.

"Daniella?"

No response. As Diana gently shook the girl's shoulder, she slowly opened her eyes. She looked incredibly sick and tired, as though she hadn't eaten or slept in days. Her pupils were fully widened, giving the impression that her eyes were completely black. "M… Mommy." The girl said weakly.

"Shh…" Diana whispered comfortingly. "We'll get you home to your mother soon."

"N-No." The little girl stuttered, a hint of urgency in her weak voice this time. "M-Mommy!" She pointed away.

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand on end, Diana slowly turned around.

_"Hello, Bruce."_

Batman nearly jumped, just barely managing to suppress the urge to react to the sudden noise. He hadn't noticed anything else in the room besides him and the skeleton, and he certainly didn't expect to be addressed by his proper name.

_"You're early. You're clever. I'd forgotten."_ As the voice spoke, it seemed to shift constantly. It bounced around the room, sometimes seeming to come from even direction at once. Its pitch fluctuated as well, although it stayed on a lower register, and maintained a deep, boomy quality. _"I'd expected that we'd have to drag you here. But you found it yourself. Not sure how. But good. Been waiting."_

Batman narrowed his eyes. "What are you?"

_"You'll find out soon. Not important now. We talk now. We have been waiting. Waiting so long. You made that wait. And you will suffer for it."_

Batman could hear the voice changing; as it grew angrier, it seemed to grow more lucid. And more familiar. "I don't have time for this." He growled.

_"You have as much time as we need. You are here for the children, yes? Yes, of course you are."_

Batman refocused his attention on the skeleton. It was moving. He could see shrouds of fog swirling around it, forming a cloak. As the cloak formed to a dark blue cloth, Bruce's mind clicked.

"John Dee… Doctor Destiny."

"Yes… Yes. I'd forgotten. They'd forgotten. But I'm in control now."

Doctor Destiny stood before Batman, an even more imposing figure than Bruce recalled. His face, the only part of his body that was visible underneath the cloak, remained skeletal, but with wild, mad eyes.

"Finally… Everything falls into place. So much waiting… You have no idea… You couldn't."

"What's going on here? What is this place?" Batman asked warily. He knew Doctor Destiny to be a dangerous foe, and didn't have any intention of being caught off guard.

"I suppose you could call it a pocket dimension… Personally, I've taken to calling it Monstruund… But I suppose that that's of little consequence." Destiny stretched his arms, testing his new form. "I suppose that what you're more interested in is how it operates. To be as brief as possible… It operates how I want it to. And soon I'll have the strength to control it fully. And that's why I needed the children. Young minds… Vulnerable, yet so strong…"

Batman felt a sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach. "You aren't… You couldn't be…"

"Yes. I've been thriving on their thoughts since I took them. Nourishing… But my friends have developed a taste for more, you see."

Batman could see what Destiny was hinting at. His only hope was to keep him talking until Zatanna could pull him and Diana back to Earth.

"What did you do with them?"

"Bruce… You know you can't fool me." Destiny said tauntingly. "I know that Diana has already found them. I know everything. I can see things in your head that even you can't. I can see every feeling… Every worry… Every urge… You've changed. The man that I knew and respected never would have allowed himself the fantasy of settling down. Starting a family. Selfish and weak. Disappointing."

"Shut up." Batman could feel his blood beginning to boil, but he maintained a calm, cocky front. "You're nothing but a parasite. I've beaten you before. I'll do it again."

Destiny let out a teasing cackle. "True! All too true!" He sneered. "But now… I'm a parasite with powerful friends. True, they're not as powerful as they should be, but good things come to those who wait. Speaking of which… You're lovely friend should be meeting with one of my friends any time now."

As if on cue, Batman's communicator crackled to life. "Batman!" Diana's voice came through the tiny speaker, carrying a note of panic. "There's something here. Just… Something. I need back up. Now!" Before Batman could respond, the communicator died.

"Diana! DIANA!" He charged towards the door, but felt himself slowing down. As his body became to heavy to move, he crumpled in a heap on the cold, wet ground.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Batman." Destiny stood over his body. "Diana is busy. The Keeper gets upset when her brood is threatened, after all. You'd best not interfere."

"I swear, if you hurt her…"

"Bruce… Grow up. We have more important matters to deal with than your pathetic love life." He turned and walked back to his throne. "Much more important business…"

Bruce felt something cold and slimy on the back of his neck. The unpleasant sensation moved its way up past his shoulders and neck. It felt as though a thousand earthworms were crawling all over him.

"Embrace it, Bruce. Madness calls…"

Bruce fought as hard as he could, but the crawling continued to spread. At several points, he could have sworn that they were burrowing into his brain through the back of his neck. As he passed out, the last thing he saw was Doctor Destiny, flanked by two shadowy figures.

Diana stared in horror at the monster before her. It had the vague appearance of a woman, but horribly twisted. With sunken eyes, it stared back at Diana. Not speaking, just staring. It took Diana a moment to realize that it's head seemed to be on backwards- the more she looked, the more horrors she discovered. It's limbs were twisted at odd angles, and seemed to long for it's spindly body. Its mouth was extended by a large gash on the left side, giving it the appearance of a lopsided grin. It was dressed in a plain white gown with numerous stains, many of which appeared to be blood.

For what seemed like an eternity, it stared. Diana felt an urge that she'd never felt before; she wanted to run away. To hide. But she couldn't. Something in it's gaze overtook her. As its black matted hair swayed in the nonexistent wind, it continued to torture Diana with it's blank stare until it broke the silence at last.

_"You…"_ It's voice was coarse and harsh, sounding like sandpaper on wood. _"You want to take them."_

Diana mustered up all of her remaining courage. "Yes. I am taking them home. Stand aside."

_"You…"_ Diana braced herself, as the anger in the monster's voice built. _"YOU CANNOT TAKE THEM FROM ME."_ The monster screamed a terrible, pained scream. Diana felt as though her eardrums might burst from the sheer frequency and volume of the shriek. "Batman! There's something here. Just… Something. I need back up. Now!"

She heard her communicator's signal die. "DAMMIT." She cursed. The monster resumed it's shrieking, this time charging at Diana. It was fast. Especially considering that it appeared to be running on two broken legs.

For the first time in her life, she was paralyzed with fear. She couldn't move out of the way in time. She could only watch in terror as the horrifying creature came closer… And closer…. And closer… Until…

Diana felt a sting of pain across her right shoulder. Blood dripped on the floor. Her blood. She dropped to her knees in pain. Panting heavily, she steadied herself and stood. No time for weakness. Any more hits, and she would be down for the count.

She carefully assessed the situation. She knew that it was fast. She knew that it was capable of inflicting serious damage. She knew that when she looked at the creature, she was stunned. And most importantly, she knew that she was injured. As she looked down at her shoulder, she saw three large scratches, still draining blood. Knowing that she had no choice, she made a snap decision. She closed her eyes, as tightly as she could and readied her fighting stance.

She heard it. Uneven limping as the monster began to charge again. Focusing as hard as she could, she waited. Waited until the last second. Waited until it was practically on top of her. She reached out to where she knew it would be and grabbed it by the top of its head with one hand, and around the waist with the other. With all her might, she pulled her hands apart as hard as she could. There was a sickening snapping noise, and the creature's hissing and screeching ceased.

Slightly relieved, Diana opened her eyes and tossed the remains aside. She didn't care to look at it as she gathered the sleeping children. She didn't know if it would stay dead for long, and she didn't intend to stay long enough to find out. Besides; Bruce hadn't answered her distress call. She knew that if he was busy enough not to come to her aid, then he was likely in need of aid himself.

Carrying all six of the young ones in her arms, she sprinted down the gruesome hallway. In no time, she was in the throne room. Her attention was immediate drawn to the center of the room, where Doctor Destiny sat in wait.

"Princess Diana… Charmed. My name is Doctor Destiny. I don't believe that we've been properly introduced?"

"Save it." Diana snarled, spotting Bruce's body on the floor. She wanted to run to it, but she didn't dare leave the children unattended. "What have you done to him?"

"The same thing," As he spoke, Diana began to feel a strange tugging sensation,"that I'm going to do to you. To everyone."

There was a loud bang. Diana once again felt the horribly uncomfortable feeling of being compressed into a void, but this time it came as a relief.

She took a deep breath. She was in the Batcave. Home. They'd done it. She gently placed the rescued children on the ground. Bruce was next to her, still unconscious, but gently stirring. Zatanna and Alfred both rushed forward to greet them.

"YOU DID IT!" Zatanna squealed, hugging Diana and ignoring the blood that was staining her white blouse. "You're amazing! I didn't think it was possible! Not that I did too bad myself…"

"You did great, Zee. Fantastic." Diana laughed.

Alfred was nearby, tending to Bruce who was slowly waking up, groaning heavily. "Master Bruce, shall I inform the Comissioner that you've located the children? I assume that he should be the first to know?" Bruce didn't respond. Instead, he began to shake violently. "Erm… Master Bruce, are you…"

Diana heard Bruce make a noise like he never had before. He screamed in pain and terror. He felt as though his head was on fire. He began scratching at his face as though hoping to tear it off and get at something inside.

"Bruce!" Diana shouted, charging to him. She grabbed his arms, trying to prevent him from hurting himself, but he was struggling with nearly inhuman strength.

"THEY'RE IN MY HEAD!" He raved. "GET THEM OUT! CAN'T REACH THEM… FINGERS DON'T REACH THEM. IN MY BRAIN, GET THEM OUT!"

Diana tightened her grip, restraining his legs too. "J'onn!" She shouted into her communicator. Teleport me and Batman up to the Watchtower! NOW!"

There was a brilliant flash of white light, and in a moment Alfred and Zatanna were once again alone with the children.

**Author's note: Woah. That was a doozy. A bit longer than I meant it to be, but that's okay. I have a few questions… There might be more like this later in the story. First of all, do you guys care for it? I'm a bit new to writing horror, and I'd like to do it right. Second, do you guys feel like this pushes the T rating? I'd love to hear thoughts on this, and in general. If you have something to say about the story, please say it. I'm completely open to criticism and advice. Anyway, like I said last time, sporadic updates until next week or so.**


	8. Chapter 8

Diana put her head in her hands. The headache that had been plaguing her since the return trip from that hell-hole had been getting progressively worse over the last hour or so. She'd successfully managed to get Bruce to the Watchtower, but not without damage. He'd been struggling like mad the whole time, and as much as she'd tried to prevent him from hurting himself, she could have sworn that she'd heard some unpleasant snapping noises.

As soon as they'd made it up to the space station, Batman had been rushed to the medial bay. J'onn had taken him in, and she had been left to stew since. She'd known that splitting up had been a bad idea, even if they hadn't been left a choice. Never play by the enemy's rules.

Her musings were interrupted by a quiet whooshing noise. She looked up, to see that the examination room's door had opened. In the silhouette of the doorway was the imposing figure of J'onn J'onzz, the Justice League's resident Martian.

"How is he, J'onn?"

Diana couldn't help but notice that J'onn looked rather grim, even by his normally stoic standards. "When I attempted to restrain him, he tore through three sets of leather straps." Despite the circumstances, Diana couldn't help but find that slightly amusing. Even delirious, he was determined as ever. "I attempted to administer sedatives, to no effect. I fear that giving him any more could poison him, yet he remains active. Physically, he'll recover. Several strained muscles, likely from being restrained. It was unfortunately necessary; had he not been held back, it is likely that he would have pulled his eyes out."

Diana sighed and shook her head. "I take it you've already tried reaching him through telepathy…?"

"His mind is blocked off from my abilities. I am afraid to say that there is little that I can do at the moment. I have contacted Doctor Fate; hopefully, he will be able to shed some light on the situation. In the meantime, I suggest that you keep an eye on him. Perhaps creating a more welcoming environment will yield results." J'onn's face softened for a moment. "I am sorry that there isn't more that I could do. But I have faith in Batman, and in you."

"Thanks, J'onn." Diana stood on her toes to hug the Martian. Bracing herself for whatever she might find, she placed her palm on the fingerprint scanner to open the door.

Bruce was strapped to the bed, hands held down by his sides by thick leather straps. He didn't seem to notice her in the doorway; he was busy staring at the opposite wall. She slowly approached the bed. No reaction.

"Bruce… Can you hear me?"

His head snapped around so quickly that it was alarming. His mask had been removed so she could see his eyes. They were wide and bloodshot. His pupils had contracted so tightly that she could barely see them; his eyes looked almost entirely white. Trying not to let the shock show on her face, she continued to approach him. His normally neat hair was drenched in sweat, and his skin had an unhealthy, waxy look to it.

"Bruce… Can you hear me?" He continued to stare at her, making her slightly uncomfortable. She couldn't help but feel that it wasn't Bruce staring at her, but somebody else looking through his eyes.

"Oh, Bruce… I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have protected you." She lightly placed a hand on his chest. Without warning, he started again, her touch seeming to have triggered something within him, as though he'd only just realized that she was there.

"Diana." His voice was hoarse, as though he'd been shouting for hours. "Help."

"Bruce?" Diana snapped to attention, hope flowing back to her. "Bruce, what do you need me to do?"

"Fingers can't reach. Can't get them."

"Erm… What?"

"Can't reach them. Need to reach them. Need them out."

"Bruce, you aren't making any sense." Diana scratched her hair. "What do you need to get out of where?"

"The thoughts!" He was nearly shouting by this point. "In my head. Knowledge. Thoughts. Knowledge that nobody should have. Thoughts that nobody should have. Knowledge that nobody would ask for. Behind my eyes. I can see it everywhere."

"Bruce… What did he do to you?" Diana put her head on his chest, gently stroking his shoulder. His heart was pounding a mile a minute- considering his usual low resting heart rate, she could only imagine the kind of stress that it would take to get him that agitated. She slowly moved upwards, until she was staring him in the face. As disturbing as the stare was, she knew that it was still Bruce, and she had to do anything that she could to snap him out of this trance. She gripped his face with her hands and passionately kissed him. Still no reaction. He didn't resist, but he didn't respond either. The same lips that had been so warm and passionate only hours ago were now colder than the grave. Admitting defeat, she pulled back.

"I know you're in there Bruce. Don't let him win." He continued to stare blankly. It could have been her imagination, but Diana could have sworn that she'd seen something resembling a taunting smile curling his lip. Before she could think about it, his eyes widened even further. The forming dark pouches under his eyes made him look even more tired than normal.

"Bad. In my head. Bad everywhere. I see it. All the time. Through the walls. In my head. Rotting. Everywhere."

Diana was having a hard time making heads or tails of his garbled phrases, but it sounded to her as if he was hallucinating. _'If only I could…'_ As she thought, her hand subconsciously brushed her leg. Suddenly, inspiration struck her. She untied her lasso from the hook on her belt. "I know you're in there, Bruce." He continued to stare, his expression completely unwavering. "You see this?" She asked holding up the lasso. "The truth. It's powerful. I don't know what you're seeing, but it's not real."

She tied a piece of the lasso tightly around her wrist, pulling it taut with her teeth. "I am now bound to tell the truth. And I will not give in until you're back."

As she approached to tie the lasso around his wrist, he began to struggle again. His eyes widened with panic. "D-don't. No. Please."

"Bruce, you can fight back. And I can help." She used her bodyweight to pin down his shoulder, tying the rope tightly around his forearm. "You aren't bad Bruce. These thoughts aren't you. They're not real."

Bruce spasmed slightly, and his expression changed. Slowly, the blank look shifted to anger. "That's it, Bruce! Keep going!"

He began to foam at the mouth. "No. I won't. I WON'T GO. NOT YET. I WILL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED."

"Tell me who you are."

Bruce's face twitched. He seemed to be shifting through emotions at breakneck speed. Diana could see veins bulging in his forehead. Finally, after several minutes of convulsing he spoke. "I'm… Batman." As he finished, he collapsed. Diana heaved a sigh of relief. "Bruce… Can you hear me?"

His breathing was heavy and shaky, but his eyes had finally closed. "Bruce…?" His head was turned away so she couldn't see it. "Hello? Can you hear me?" Nervously, she crawled over him so she could see him. Silent tears were streaming down his cheeks. It was nearly as disturbing as the blank look- now that she thought of it, she couldn't recall ever seeing him cry. The idea that he could almost caught her by surprise; he'd always been such a rock.

"Shh…" Diana rested her head on his chest. His heart rate and dropped down to normal, although he still felt a bit feverish. "It's okay. We got the kids back. We made it back safely. Everything can go back to normal now."

Bruce grinned a little bit. "Heh. Normal." He grunted slightly as he shifted and pain shot up his arm.

"J'onn said you've got some muscle strain." Diana undid the leather straps, allowing him to move freely. "You know what that means right?"

"Ugh…"

"That's right, bed rest. Now get on it." She put her head down on his chest again, listening as his breathing slowed to a light snore.

**Author's note: I'm pretty busy right now, but I'll be finished with classes for the summer on Monday, so I'll probably pick up again then. Until then, I'm signed up with the fan fiction portion of Batman/Wonder Woman forums. I'm thinking that I might put a sort of 'director's cut' for some of the later chapters up there. I don't want to break the T rating here, so I'll probably save it. We'll see though.**

**I'm not too sure about this chapter… The pacing seems off to me. I might rework it, but that's a job for another day.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Before I get going, I'm putting out a call for 'co-writers.' Mostly just people that can help formulate ideas. I have a lot of plans for this story, but some of them need just a bit more fleshing out, and I could use a bit of help. Anyhow, you know how to reach me, so on with the show.**

Bruce's eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy. It took him a moment to acclimate to his surrounding. He was back in his bedroom at Wayne Manor, having been released from the Watchtower medical bay after only several hours.

He was no stranger to nightmares. He'd experienced them regularly since childhood, and they'd shaped him into the man that he was. But what he'd just experience was no nightmare; rather, a recollection. As he pushed the horrible thoughts to the back of his brain, he looked beside him. Diana was resting peacefully, with an arm wrapped over his chest. Fortunately, she hadn't noticed his sweaty, clammy skin. As he followed the gentle curve of her slender arm, his eyes fell on her shoulder. It was covered in thick bandages. She'd been through quite an ordeal as well, there was no need to trouble her with his visions. They were meaningless. Thoroughly unpleasant, but meaningless in the end. He'd find a way through it.

As he closed his eyes in another doomed attempt to fall asleep, a sharp beeping noise met his ears. Diana heard it as well, rising from her peaceful slumber.

"What's going on?" She was already wide awake and pulling on a nightgown. "What's that alarm?"

"Intruder alarm." Bruce grunted. He was still in some physical discomfort, and had some trouble getting up. "Something made it past the initial security measures. That's Alfred's alarm. He must have found them. We need to catch up before he-"

Bruce was cut off by the bedroom door swinging open. Diana pounced at the door, abruptly stopping herself in midair, just nearly avoiding tacking Alfred in the doorway. "Alfred? What are you doing here? Didn't you just set off the alarm?"

"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you so late, Sir and Madam, but it seems that we have an unexpected visitor."

Bruce raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Who would be visiting at…" He briefly glanced over at his alarm clock. "Three in the morning? And more importantly, how did they get through the manor's security?"

"I have my ways." Bruce's eyes narrowed at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Waller." A short, heavy-set black woman wearing a dark business suit stepped out from the shadows of the hallway. "What are you doing here."

"Oh, you know, I just happened to be in Gotham, and I thought I'd drop by for a visit. Although, I'm surprised that you're inside a sleep on such a beautiful night. Shouldn't you be out punching heroin addicts, or whatever it is that you do when you aren't busy creating cosmic-level threats?"

"Cute." Diana interjected, beginning to lose her patience. "But why are you here?"

"First off, to prove a point." Waller responded coolly. "Just a reminder that I have your number, and that your secrets stay such at my mercy, something that I hope you'll take into consideration when I mention my second point." She cleared her throat. Bruce noticed a very unusual hesitancy in her voice. This concerned him; Waller wasn't the type to hesitate. It was her best and worst trait. Once she made a decision, she stuck to it, and would at least fake total candidness. "I require some… Hrm… Assistance, I suppose would be the correct term."

"What kind of assistance?" Bruce asked, his interest piqued.

"Not so fast, playboy. This is sensitive information. Very sensitive. I can't risk any of what I'm about to tell you reaching the wrong ears. Believe me, I wouldn't even be telling you if I could see any other option."

"So you have waivers?"

Waller actually laughed out loud at his comment. "Bruce, you know me better than that. I don't have waivers, but I do have… Insurance. As I mentioned earlier. And don't think that I won't use it."

"So," Bruce growled "what you're saying is that unless we help you get what you want, then you out us to the public?"

"More or less, I suppose. But I want more than that. You don't breath a word about what you see tonight to anybody. Merely a formality, of course. Your word will do."

Bruce thought for a moment, quickly coming to the conclusion that there was no alternative. He knew Waller well enough to say that she was likely bluffing, but he also knew that she wouldn't come crawling to him unless there was absolutely no alternative. He nodded slowly.

"And you, Princess?" Waller turned to Diana.

"You're lucky that I haven't picked you up and thrown you out the window by your collar." Diana sighed. "But if Bruce trusts you enough to hear you out, then I have no reason to object either."

"It's settled then. Get ready. We're leaving in five."

"Wait a second." Bruce glared at her. "You still haven't told us what you want or where you want us to go. I want answers."

"And you'll get them. Soon. Sometimes, it's easier to show than to tell. Now if you're done asking questions, it's about time we got moving."

As soon as they'd suited up, Waller had escorted them to a small plane carefully hidden outside of the grounds of Wayne Manor. "Completely invisible to radar." She said proudly. "And it jams all wireless signals, even from inside. Completely untraceable."

It was shaped like a flying saucer, with a large black sphere comprising its' center. Waller withdrew a small remote from her pocket and tapped out what seemed to be a lengthy combination. A section, of the sphere retracted, revealing a surprisingly spacious yet cozy interior. It was mostly plain, except for three large seats with red velvet covering. Waller took one, motioning for Batman and Wonder Woman to do the same. "Now… I believe that it might be best if I gave you a quick briefing before we reached our destination."

Batman felt a light surge as the ship took off. The windows were tinted so that he couldn't see outside; instead, he saw only a distorted reflection of his own face. "Where are we going? Why all the secrecy?"

"A top secret government base. Obviously, I can't tell you where. You're lucky to even be getting in."

"What are you involved in now, Waller?" Batman raised an eyebrow. "I would've thought that even you would have decided to lay low for a while after Cadmus."

Waller actually laughed out loud at his remark. "Bruce, I thought you knew how things worked… An organization like Cadmus doesn't go away overnight. It just gives way to the next thing."

Wonder Woman felt rage boiling in her stomach. "So that's it. After everything you did- all the people that you had slaughtered, you get to go back to playing with peoples' lives. Cadmus was-"

"Cadmus was necessary." Waller replied calmly. "Objectionable, but necessary all the same. The same could be said for what you're about to see."

"And just what might that be?" Diana took several deep breaths, forcing her temper down.

"From a technical standpoint, it doesn't have a name. All paperwork is on-site at one of several locations. It's not easy, but it's completely air-tight. We've taken to calling this particular location The Warehouse.

"And I take it that this 'Warehouse of yours is a base to continue your research with Cadmus?" Wonder Woman said scornfully.

"Yes and no." Waller replied. "You see, we learned our lesson after Cadmus. We've learned that the Justice League is not a threat to humanity, and can be trusted to handle certain threats. However, there are threats that require a certain… Finesse to be dealt with appropriately. We take a less aggressive approach. Rather than trying to eliminate threats, we contain them. We learn to understand them. Once we've acquired all possible knowledge, we destroy them. Or failing that, we safely store them."

"And you keep this a secret from the general population?" Diana said, still attempting to remain calm. "It sounds to me as though you don't have anybody's interests but your own at heart."

"And given our previous encounters, I can't blame you." Waller let out a heavy sigh. "I don't expect you to understand my position. But I'm asking for you to hear me out. There are bigger things in play here than you know. Than we know. And we need to know what, exactly. But for now, we're here."

The ship had landed so smoothly that Batman and Wonder Woman hadn't even noticed it. The door opened, and they filed out. The surrounding area was a barren desert; by Batman's estimate, there were no settlements within hundreds miles. The only thing breaking the monotony of the dry sand was a small, unassuming cement bunker. Waller stepped in front of the door, pulling away a false brick to reveal a hidden security panel. She entered a key combination, scanned her thumb and iris, and entered a vocal command. With a loud creak, the door inched open. She walked in, quickening her pace. The interior was completely plain, with fluorescent lighting, and polished metal floors and walls.

Batman crossed his arms over his chest as he followed Waller through the claustrophobic corridor. "So… You need information."

Waller nodded. "The Justice League filed a report of your encounter with John Dee the other night. It set off one of a flag on our networks. You see, since you originally encountered him four years ago, he's been shifted from prison to prison. Most recently, we acquired him."

"Let me guess." Batman growled. "He was transferred here under the guise of being dead. Then you let him escape, and you need us to clean up your mess."

"Half right." Waller abruptly stopped, withdrawing a key and opening a heavy steel door on the left side of the hallway. Inside was a nondescript office, with many file cabinets and drawers. The only particularly noteworthy feature f the room was the long row of television monitors on the wall facing the desk. She sat at the desk in the middle of the room and began to shuffle through the cabinets. "One year ago, he was transferred to our facility for long-term containment. He was kept under extreme isolation and the strictest security measures, despite having been comatose for years. He showed no signs of life, other than basic vitals. Then, three months ago, he died unexpectedly. He had a heart attack in his sleep." She threw a pile of papers for Batman to look at. "There's the coroners reports and a description of the security protocols. No flaws."

"Obviously, that's not correct." Diana gave Waller a piercing stare. "I saw him myself, as did Batman. Unless we passed into the realm of the dead and returned, then that wasn't him. And I've seen the realms of the dead. One does not come and go so freely. Especially without knowing."

"No, of course not. The same thing occurred to me. Death is a line that isn't so easily crossed, and if Doctor Destiny had acquired the power to do so, then we may have been facing a serious problem. However, I believe that we may be up against something worse. Much worse."

"Worse?" Diana asked incredulously. "What could be worse than a telepath whose powers are capable of reaching around the entire globe gaining the ability to die and return at will?"

Waller began to rummage through her drawers again, selecting another file which she passed to Diana. "As you know, Destiny's power stems from his ability to control dreams, and by extension, thoughts. Now… Imagine that he met with a being with the capability to warp reality based on thought?"

"That doesn't exactly sound hypothetical." Diana said apprehensively. "Are you saying that you have knowledge of such a monster?"

"More or less." Waller selected a thin stack of papers from her file and handed them to Diana. "We have… Something. Or had. It's impossible to say, really. And that why we need you. You've had firsthand experience, and if you can confirm, we'll have some idea of how to progress."

Diana examined the papers. The first page contained little useful information, aside from an interesting bit about security.

'Case No. 6538439- NAME REDACTED

No personnel are to approach REDACTED at any time, no matter the circumstance. Those who do not comply are to be sent for psychological evaluation and/or termination.

"Why so little security?" Diana asked curiously. "If this thing is so dangerous, wouldn't it make sense to keep eyes on it?"

"We'll get to that later. But please, flip to the next page."

Diana complied, and had to suppress a gasp as she did so. Printed on the next page was a grotesque photo of three corpses. They were leaning against stone walls, and were covered in ages' worth of dust and grime. Despite the wear of centuries, she could make out a fully grown man, a woman, and a young girl. All three were horribly mutilated, as though they'd suffered blunt force trauma from multiple sources. Their bodies were contorted unnaturally, as though they'd been hit by a truck and left. For the amount of time that they seemed to have been left alone, they were remarkably well-preserved, with a good portion of flesh still intact, if not exactly healthy looking.

The woman in particular caught Diana's attention; she was the one who'd been guarding the kidnapped children in Destiny's plane. "Yes." Diana murmured. "This woman. I've seen her. She looked stronger, but it's definitely her."

"Hm." Waller seemed less than pleased with her suspicions being confirmed. "Well, then I suppose that I'd best keep my end of the bargain. Follow me." She stood up from her desk, and they set off down the endless hallways again.

"Archaeologists found the bodies in a Tibetan tomb two years ago. We followed rumors of a cursed tomb as per usual, and found them. It took some time for the 'curse' to manifest itself, but eventually we thought that we'd figured it out. Early tests showed that the corpses seemed to be consuming brainwaves. Relatively harmless, but still an anomaly. Then, things started to get odd. Impossible things started to happen. Things that were, for lack of a better term, wrong."

"I'm not following." Batman said. "What kind of thing?"

"Things started changing. It was all relative to whoever happened to be near it. It started small. A researcher thought that he'd returned a pencil that he'd borrowed earlier, even though he hadn't. The pencil would suddenly reappear in the possession of the owner, much to their surprise. Eventually, we realized that it was essentially consuming thoughts and warping reality to match the perceptions of those around it. But the more studies we conducted, the bigger the changes became. It came to a head in an incident where one of the researchers mistook one of the guards for a woman. After that, we came to the conclusion whatever it was, it was too unpredictable. Monkey's Paw, and all that. We put it in isolation to try to replicate the conditions of the tomb. We'd hoped to cut off it's energy supply and hoped that that would be the end of it."

"Obviously, you were wrong." Diana scowled at Waller. "It was foolish to meddle with such a curse."

"Maybe, but the potential reward was to great. It seems as though the energy that it consumed was enough to allow it to extend it's range. Considering Destiny's telepathic abilities, it was probably able to reach him somehow. Which brings us to the real crux of the situation." Waller stopped in front of a heavy-looking metal door. Diana could hear a dull, repetitive, thudding coming from within. "Now we have a psychopath with the ability to control peoples' thoughts, seemingly equipped with the ability to twist reality to match the thoughts of those around him. I don't think that I need to explain to you why that's a very, very bad thing. I was hoping that I was wrong, but I had the corpses tested after I read your incident report. As of this afternoon, they no longer show any unusual properties. In all likelihood, they created the realm that you two stumbled into within Destiny's mind, where they've been forced to retreat to. I'd say that the only reason that they haven't erased us all from existence by now is that their relative weakness forces them to hide until they've regained their strength." She gestured towards the door. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate a moment alone with Bruce."

Diana was clearly irritated about being left out of the conversation, but trusted Bruce to fill her in on important details later, and came to the conclusion that it would be easier just to let Waller have her way. She nodded reluctantly, and Batman and Waller disappeared into the room, the heavy door swinging shut behind them.

The inside of the room was as sterile as the rest of the compound. There was no furniture, except for two stiff, metal chairs. The walls were pure white, and the lighting was so bright that it was hard to tell where the walls ended and the floor began. Batman couldn't help but be reminded of an interrogation room.

"Now, let's get right to the bottom of things." Waller sat herself down in one of the chairs. Batman remained standing. "Your relationship with the Amazon. I don't like it."

"Relatio-?" He started to stammer before he was cut off.

"Don't play dumb with me. I've been watching you. I've been watching you. I knew that it would happen before you did, probably. So maybe you are dumb in that respect. But the fact is that I just walked in on the two of you in bed."

"I hardly see how that's any of your business."

"Oh, believe me, if the two of you have any family, it will no doubt become my business one way or another. Knowing you two, I shudder to think of the trouble your offspring could get into. Fair warning. But that's neither here nor there. I don't aim to cause trouble in your personal life. But you need to know the rest of the story. You can tell her what I'm about to tell you, or keep it to yourself. That's not my call. But _you_ need to know."

"Need to know what?"

Waller's tone became somber. "Most of the members of the research team that came in close contact with the corpses were driven hopelessly insane. Their minds were completely erased. And judging by the report I read, you should be in the same condition. They affected your brain directly. It's a miracle that you can still put a sentence together."

"It was Diana's lasso."

"That was clever of her." Waller remarked casually. "Using pure, unfiltered truth to forcefully dispel whatever illusion you saw."

"She's clever."

"Indeed. But I'm afraid that she might not have been clever enough. I'm afraid that maybe nobody is."

"What are you implying?" Batman growled.

"For god's sake, Bruce. Put the pieces together. I'm implying that Destiny isn't finished. We know that much. He's still out there, and he still has a vendetta against you. He lured _you_ into his territory by kidnapping children from Gotham, and then he let those monsters run rampant in your brain. I'm worried that whatever he put in your head… It might still be there."

**Author's Note: [FORESHADOWING INTENSIFIES]**

**This chapter has been scrapped and rewritten twice, and that probably won't be the last time.**


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